After facing massive destruction after Hurricane Sandy, Coney Island is open for the summer. Ride the wooden roller coaster at Luna Park, stroll the boardwalk, and savor a hot dog with all the fixings at Nathan’s Famous. (Or check out Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on July 4. It’s been fascinating/horrifying crowds since 1916!)

Every Monday throughout the summer, the expansive lawn at Bryant Park is transformed into the city’s most picturesque cinema, as the HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival presents classic and recently released movies to the assembled crowd. Bring your picnic blanket!

Sure, you’ll have to wait in a long line for your (free) tickets, but is there any event more iconic to summer in New York City than the famous, star-studded Shakespeare in the Park performances? This year’s programs include a new musical version of Love’s Labour’s Lost.

A ribbon of green along the Manhattan waterfront, Hudson River Park offers free kayak rentals on piers 40, 66, and 96. For novice kayakers, there are even volunteer-led lessons throughout the summer, gratis.

No longer just a place for business travelers or folks passing through en route to the nearby Rocky Mountains, Denver offers tourists a one-of-a-kind experience with all things local. Denver resident Mindy Sink shares the best places to shop, eat, and play in Denver this summer.

Celebrate one of the city’s most remarkable neighborhoods during Harlem Week, a more-than-weeklong festival of music and performing arts that runs from July 28 through early August. The lineup includes art exhibits, gospel ensembles, sporting events, and more.

Take a break from the big city on this historic, car-free island in the middle of New York Harbor, with miles of bike lanes, pretty picnic spots, and stunning city views. It’s open every weekend through the end of September, and free ferries depart from the Battery Maritime Building at 10 South Street every half […]